A Grammar of Turkish Sign Language (TİD)

An adjective and a numeral can precede a noun in either Numeral-Adjective-Noun order or in Adjective-Numeral-Noun order without any semantic difference.

 

[two black dog] see₃

'I saw two black dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 16)

 

[black two dog] see₃

'I saw two black dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 16)

 

Both Demonstrative-Adjective-Noun and Demonstrative-Numeral-Noun orders occur.

 

[ix₁ black dog] see₃

'I saw the black dog.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 16)

 

[ix₁ two dog] see₃

'I saw two dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 16)

 

Some orders where one modifier precedes the noun while another modifier follows the noun are also possible as exemplified below.

 

[black dog two] see₃

'I saw two black dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 18)

 

[two dog black] see₃

'I saw two black dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 18)

 

 

[ix₁ child little] take

'I took a little child.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 18)

 

 

[ix₁ dog two] see₃

'I saw the two dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 18)

 

Two possible orders where two modifiers precede the head noun while a modifier follows the head noun are possible as the following examples show.

 

[ix₁ black dog two] see₃

'I saw the two black dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 19)

[ix₁ two dog black] see₃

'I saw the two black dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 19)

 

When all modifiers precede the head noun, the order Demonstrative-Numeral-Adjective-Noun is the preferred one. There are also two less preferred orders as shown below:

 

[ix₁ two black dog] see₃

'I saw the two black dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 18)

 

[ix₁ black two dog] see₃

'I saw the two black dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 18)

 

[two black ix dog] see₃

'I saw the two black dogs.'

(adapted from Nuhbalaoğlu & Özsoy 2014: 18)